Current-interrupter.



N0. 7|5,584` Patl'lied 2'3, i902. C. 0. SCHNEIDER. v CURRENT INTEBBUPTER.

(Application med .rune 14,f 1902.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CARL OSCAR SCHNEIDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO R. FRIED- LANDERd CO., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CURRENT-INTERRUPTER.

s-PEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,584, dated December 23, 1902.

Application led June 14, 1902.

To all whom, it Wtay/ concern:

Be it known that I, CARL OSCAR SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Interrupters, of which the following is a speciticatiou.

The present invention relates to that type of frequency-interrupters generally known as the electrolytic interrupter, and has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and effective device or apparatus in which a uniform area of exposure of the anode-surface is maintained during continued operation and with which the degree or extent of such anode exposure can be varied at the will of the operator in a ready and convenient manner, all as will hereinafter more fully appear, and be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of the present invention, Figure lis a central sectional elevation of a frequency-interrupter embodying the presentinvention; Fig. 2, a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating a modification.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in both views.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a cell or containing vessel of any usual and suitable form and material and adapted to contain the fluid electrolytic conductor, such as a dilute solution of sulfuric acid; 2, a removable cover for the cell or vessel l and which is preferably employed to support the respective anode and cathode of the interrupter. 4

3 is the cathode, of any usual form, preferably a lead plate or other conductor of large surface as compared with the anode. Such cathode is suspended from the cover 2 and is provided with a binding-post 4 or other usual attachment, by means of which connection is had With one pole of the battery or other source of electrical supply.

5 is the anode, formed by a conducting rod or Wire of any metal adapted to resist chemical action on the part of the liquid electrolytic conductor employed in the apparatus.

6 is a tube of insulating material surround- Serial No. 1 11,628. (No model.)

ing the anode 5 and preferably formed with a bore of much greater diameter than that of the anode 5, and in which case its respective ends or extremities are reduced to constitute guides for the said anode, as shown. In the present invention the anode 5 is adapted to have free longitudinal movement in the insulating tube or housing 6, for the purpose hereinafter set forth. 6o

. 7 is an abutment or rest arranged a short distance away from the lower end of the insulating tube or inclosure 6 and adapted to limit the degree of downward movement of the wire or rod anode 5 and the consequent 65 extent of'surface exposure of such anode. The described arrangement constitutes a material part of the present invention in that it compensates in a very effective and automatic manner for the gradual erosion of the 7o cathode during extended use by the acid electrolyte, and consequently avoids the corresponding decrease in the extent of surface exposure of such cathode, with the corresponding decrease in current intensity usual to the ordinary type of electrolytic interrupter heretofore in general use.

The abutment orrest 7 may be formed integrally or otherwise on the bottom of the containing vessel or cell l, as illustrated in 8o Fig. l, or may be in the form of a member 7', entirely distinct from such bottom, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In the present invention the extent of surface exposure of the cathode and the consequent change in the intensity of the current is effected by an adjustment of the distance between the lower end of the insulating tube or inclosure 6 and the abutment or rest 7, either by the adjustment of one or the other 9o of said parts.

In Fig. l a construction is'shown in which the insulating-tube 6 is made vertically adjustable, and for this purpose is provided with a screw-threaded sleeve 8, having an operating head or handle 9 at its upper end and adapted to screw in the screw-threaded bore of the bushing l0, that is secured to the cover 2 of the main containing vessel, to effect the desired adjustment of the said insulatingroo tube 6.

In Fig. 2 a construction is shown wherein the rest or abutment 7 is made vertically adjustable, and to this end is connected to a vertically-extending stem ll, the upper end of Which is screw-threaded and is engaged by an operatingnut l2, that has bearing in the cover portion 2 of the containing vessel.

13 is a lateral neck near the upper end of the insulating-tube 7, the purpose of which is to prevent any undue rising of the liquid electrolyte Within said tube from any usual cause, and thus avoid any leakage of such electrolyte over the top of the apparatus and the consequentinconvenience resulting therefrom.

The anode 5 is provided with a binding-post 14 or other usual attachment, by means of which connection is had with a pole of the battery or other source of electrical supply.

Having` thus fully described my said invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cu rrentinterrupter of the character described, the combination With a cell, a contained liquid electrolyte and a cathode element, of an anode element, an insulating tubular inclosure in which said anode is free to move, and an alined abutment or rest arranged in separated relation to the end of the tubular inclosure, substantially as set forth.

2. In a current-interrupter of the character described, the combination with a cell, a contained liquid electrolyte and a cathode element, of an anode element, an insulating tubular inclosure in which said anode is free to move, an alined abutment or rest arranged in separated relation to the end of the tubular inclosure, and means for effecting an adjustment between the said abutment or rest and the end of the tubular inclosure, substan`-A tially as set forth.

3. In a current-interrupter of the character described, the combination With a cell, a contained liquid electrolyte and a cathode element, of an anode element, an insulating tubular inclosure in which said anode is free to move, an alined abutment 0r rest arranged in separated relation to the end of the tubular inclosure, and means for effecting an adjustment between the said abutment or rest and the end of the tubular inclosure, the same comprising ascreW-threaded sleeve upon said tubular inclosure and a bushing secured to the cover of the cell, and provided With a screwthreaded bore for engagement with such screw-threaded sleeve, substantially as ,set forth.

4. In a current-interrupter of the character described, the combination with acell, a contained liquid electrolyte and a cathode element, of an anode element, an insulating tubular inclosure in which said anode is free to move, an alined abutment or rest arranged in separated relation to the end of the tubular inclosure, and a lateral neck formed near the upper end of such tubular inclosure and forming a communication between such portion of the tubular inclosure and the upper portion of the main cell, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 10th day of June, 1902.

CARL OSCAR SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT BURNS, HENRY A. NoTT. 

